Shotgun cartridge with explosive shell

Abstract

A shotgun cartridge (1) has an armour piercing shell (11) which includes a main charge (17) arranged to be detonated or exploded by direct percussion of a primer (12). The cartridge (1) includes a bore safe cylindrical arming device (16) integrally formed with the obturator (6), which interrupts the detonation process after detonation of the primer (12). The arming device (16) is arranged to separate from the shell, to arm the shell, after firing of the shell (11) from the barrel of a gun, and the shell (11) includes an open base or rear portion to prevent shrapnel being thrown to the rear on detonation.

I claim: 
     
       1. A armour piercing shell, having forward and rearward sections, comprising: a tubular main charge located within said shell;   a primer means for detonating said main charge by direct percussion located within said main charge in the forward section of said armour piercing shell; and   a detachable bore-safe arming device which comprises a tubular element which, in the normal pre-fired state, is disposed within said main charge and surrounds said primer means to interrupt the detonation of said main charge by detonation of said primer means, and which, after firing of said armour piercing shell from the barrel of a gun, is completely rearwardly detachable from the armour piercing shell during flight, thereby allowing detonation of said main charge by said primer means on impact.   
     
     
       2. An armour piercing shell according to claim 1, wherein said armour piercing shell has an open base or rear portion to prevent shrapnel being thrown to the rear on detonation. 
     
     
       3. An armour piercing shell according to claim 1, wherein said bore-safe arming device is cylindrical and said main charge has a cylindrical bore extending longitudinally therethrough and surrounding said bore-safe arming device. 
     
     
       4. An armour piercing shell according to claim 1, wherein a secondary detonator is located annularly around said bore-safe arming device. 
     
     
       5. An armour piercing shell according to claim 3, wherein a secondary detonator is located annularly around said bore-safe arming device. 
     
     
       6. An armour piercing shell according to claim 1, wherein said main charge is a shaped charge having a substantially frusto-conical concave front face. 
     
     
       7. An armour piercing shell according to claim 2, wherein said main charge is a shaped charge having a substantially frusto-conical concave front face. 
     
     
       8. An armour piercing shell according to claim 6, wherein said primer means comprises a cylindrical casing having a detonator at its front end. 
     
     
       9. An armour piercing shell according to claim 8, wherein said primer means comprises a rimfire casing. 
     
     
       10. A shotgun cartridge comprising: a casing;   a propellant; and   an armour piercing shell, having forward and rearward sections, comprising:   a tubular main charge located within said shell;   a primer means, for detonating said main charge by direct percussion, located within said main charge in the forward section of said armour piercing shell; and   a detachable bore-safe arming device which comprises a tubular element which, in the normal pre-fired state, is disposed within said main charge and surrounds said primer means to interrupt the detonation of said main charge by detonation of said primer means, and which, after firing of said armour piercing shell from the barrel of a gun, is completely rearwardly detachable from the armour piercing shell during flight, thereby allowing detonation of said main charge by said primer means on impact.   
     
     
       11. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said armour piercing shell has an open base or rear portion to prevent shrapnel being thrown to the rear on detonation. 
     
     
       12. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said bore-safe arming device is cylindrical and said main charge has a cylindrical bore extending longitudinally therethrough and surrounding said bore-safe arming device. 
     
     
       13. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said bore-safe arming device is integrally formed with an obturator located between said armour piercing shell and said propellant for firing said shell from the cartridge. 
     
     
       14. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 13, wherein said obturator comprises a unitary plastics wad having rear and forward discs and collapsible spacer legs therebetween, the integral bore-safe arming device extending from the front of the front disc. 
     
     
       15. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein a secondary detonator is located annularly around said bore-safe arming device. 
     
     
       16. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said main charge is a shaped charge having a substantially frusto-conical concave front face. 
     
     
       17. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said primer means comprises a cylindrical casing having a detonator at its front end. 
     
     
       18. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 17, wherein said primer means comprises a rimfire casing. 
     
     
       19. A shotgun cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said cartridge has a casing which has a crimped front end which extends forward of said primer means to prevent any detonation of said primer means by accidental dropping of said cartridge.